JUNE, 2008.
Throughout the whole month, Jian Yue remained the talk of the town. She became known as the little genius of the Jian family, and she successfully made her family the center of attention.
Her parents received the biggest benefit in this case, no doubt. The number of banquet invitations they received this month alone was double the number they usually received in a year. Moreover, they were top-notch invitations.
Not only that, the Old Master also took Jian Mingzhen with him as his plus one whenever he attended those high-profile banquets, a position that used to belong to the First Branch's Master.
Su Nian also got invited to the many women-only banquets that the First Madam used to attend and flaunt in front of her. Now, it was her turn to enjoy the attention lavished to her from all sides. What made it better was that, in each one of those banquets, she was often surrounded and heavily praised for raising her daughter so well. After all, in the whole country, individuals with such high IQ can be counted on one hand.
It was the glorious time for the Third Branch. They got the attention they'd always craved, all thanks to their little girl. They had never shone like this before, but now, they became the talk of the upper class, in a good way.
However, the little girl who made this happen was experiencing the opposite of her family's rise.
Her seemingly full schedule became fuller. She was losing sleep hours so she could study many books at a time. She had more tutors, and every day, the only time the maids could catch a glimpse of her small figure was either during breakfast, lunch or dinner, where she'd take a few bites at the dining table before slipping back into her room. Other than those times, she barely left her room.
Jian Yue's only free time was when she had to go to banquets. It was there she felt freer, away from her countless tutors' jargon.
But even in those banquets, she still had to solve several complex problems in order to continue highlighting that she was indeed, a genius.
Some families even purposely made the questions more difficult, like giving her a university-level physics question to solve, but nevertheless, Little Jian Yue proved herself deserving the title placed on her.
The Genius Girl of the Century.
She solved every question given to her as if it were a simple addition. Her name soared, floating around along with praise, admiration and envy. Now, wherever she went, she had several children trailing behind. They were her 'friends'. In reality, they were sent by their parents to suck up to her and befriend her. Either so they could become more studious and intelligent, or so they could be aligned with the likely heir Old Jian might choose.
That would have been a far-fetched thought in the past, but it doesn't seem impossible now, especially after the little girl had become so popular, bringing praise to her family.
....
Followed by several other maids carrying boxes, the Butler led the way to the Young Miss's room. Once they reached the door, he knocked gently, thrice.
"Come in." The childish emotionless voice sounded. It was low but sharp.
Butler Jian beckoned to the maids and opened the door, walking in.
Unlike what you'd expect from a little girl's room, Jian Yue's bedroom was the opposite. There was nothing like toys or flashy materials, instead, the room was painted grey. There were multiple shelves filled with different kinds of books, spanning each side. There was a huge desk between those shelves, and on it sat Jian Yue, her brows locked together as she worked on the new material her English language tutor had given her today.
"Young Miss..."
"Wait." Jian Yue raised a hand abruptly, cutting the Butler off.
However, the Respected Butler only bowed his head with a flattering smile. "Then this old man shall wait. Please take your time, Young Miss."
Jian Yue frowned slightly, and her dark gaze landed on the Butler who still had a polite smile on. Her eyes surveyed him slightly. In the end, she tossed the pen on the sheet, her expression one of impatience. "What do you want?"
She was a bit anxious lately. Her schedule was too piled up to entertain any distractions, every second spent on unnecessary things felt like it shortened her lifespan.
The butler smiled and beckoned to the maids behind him. "There's an important banquet tomorrow, Young Miss. Our branch was invited, and Madam asked you to pick a dress of your choice."
"Mom didn't pick it out for me?" The little girl scrunched her brows. Her mother always handled any banquet-related stuff concerning her. From dresses to jewellery, it was all strictly handled by Su Nian.
Butler Jian informed. "It's the Old Master that sent them over. They're all too good and Madam couldn't decide which to pick between these two. So she sent us here to ask you to make your choice."
"Oh..." Jian Yue nodded in understanding and hopped down from the chair, walking to the couch as the maids placed down the box in front of her.
"When is the banquet?" The girl asked with a thoughtful expression.
"Tomorrow evening, my lady. It's a dinner banquet."
Jian Yue said nothing again, her gaze fixed on the dress the two maids had laid out. It was a pale blue dress, transitioning seamlessly from a rich, deep amethyst at the shoulders into a twilight sapphire along the bodice, finally dissolving into a radiant icy blue at the hem; it featured a celestial gradient created entirely from thousands of glistening Swarovski crystals.
Despite already seeing this dress earlier when the Madam was checking it out, the maids still couldn't hold back their gasp—it was such a beautiful dress. They could already envision it glittering under the chandeliers at the dinner party.
Moreover, they were sure their little Young Miss would look flawless in it. Her skin was naturally paler than milk, and such color would suit her very well, making her look glamorous.
"There's a jewelry set for it. It's a silver necklace." Another maid informed, unlocking another box to show her the exotic collection.
Nevertheless, the young girl's brow remained furrowed, her eyes made it clear she didn't like the dress.
The maids didn't know how to feel. They thought this dress would make her stand out, but clearly, she didn't like it.
What a pity.